LB 

M 



ALABAIitA, state Land Agent 

Bulletin concarning th.e Sali 
of Indemnity Lands, April, 1913 



HmmHmWBUIBB BM 



BULLETIN 

CONCERNING THE SALE 



OF 



INDEMNITY LANDS 




Prepared by 

W. J. MARTIN. 

State Land Agent. 



Issued by 

THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 
APRIL, 1913. 



BROWN PRINTING COMPANY, 

Printers and Binders, 

1913. 



v^^'^^ 



0, OF D. 
JUL ^^ I9'3 






THE lands described in the following pages of this pamphlet 
are the School Indemnity Lands belonging to the State of 
Alabama and are to be sold at various times hereafter, beginning 
with those in Jefferson County, which will be sold on 

APRIL 21, 1913 

in front of the courthouse in the City of Birmingham as adver- 
tised. 

The lands in Walker, Tuscaloosa and the remaining counties will 
be sold at intervals of about one week each following the sale in 
Birmingham. 

Notice of each particular sale will be given in a newspaper pub- 
lished in the county where the land lies. 

The notes and memoranda after the descriptions in each town- 
ship and range were furnished by Dr. Eugene A. Smith, State 
Geologist, University, Alabama. 

The terms of all these sales will be CASH. 

The State reserves the right to sell these lands in tracts of forty 
acres and up. It also reserves the right to sell the mineral only or 
to sell the surface only and in either case to reserve the usual 
rights-of-way for the use and enjoyment of that part of the prop- 
erty which is not sold. 

The right is also reserved to reject any and all bids. 

These lands are offered for sale by the State Superintendent of 
Education with the consent and subject to the approval of the 
Governor. 



ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. 
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA. 



I 

/ 



WITH a view to giving prospective purchasers some idea of 
the indemnity school lands offered for sale in certain coun- 
ties in Alabama, the State Geologist, Dr. Eugene A. Smith, of 
Tuscaloosa, w^as requested by Governor O'Neal to set forth briefly 
his opinion touching the approximate value of minerals in the sev- 
eral sub-divisions of the lands advertised. His notations are as 
folloM^s: 

DEKALB COUNTY. 



The S. 1/2 of S. E. i^ and S. E. % of S. 
S., R. 6 E.: "May have thin red ore." 



W. 1/4 of Sec. 12, Tp. 10 



The E. 1/2 of N. E. % of Sec. 36, Tp. 8 S., R. 7 E.: "These tracts 
have the thin red ore below them at some depth, but I have no data 
for estimating thickness or quality of the ore seams there." 

The W. 1/2 of S. W. 14 of Sec. 22; N. 1/2 of N. W. i/4 of Sec. 28, 
and W. 1/2 of S. W. 14 of Sec. 32, all in Tp. 9 S., R. 7 E.: "In Sec- 
tion 21 there is soft ore 1 foot 3 inches to 1 foot 6 inches thick 
with beds of 3 feet of sandy, calcareous ore, and another bed 8 to 
10 feet thick of limy ore of poor quality. In Section 28 there are 
2 feet 6 inches of good ore and 75 to 80 feet below this sandy cal- 
careous ore of inferior quality, but 8 to 10 feet thick. Section 32, 
ore sandy, calcareous, 4 feet." 

ETOWAH COUNTY. 

The S. E. 1/4 of N. E. i/4 of Sec. 14; E. Va of S. E. V^ of Sec. 22, 
and N. W. % of N. W. % of Sec. 26, all in Tp. 10 S., R. 6 E.: "In 
Section 14 there is good ore about 1 foot, inferior ore 2 feet. The 
tracts in Sections 22 and 26 should have the ore below the surface. 
No data as to thickness and quality, but the tracts might well be 
specially investigated." 

FAYETTE COUNTY. 



The E. 1/2 of S. E. V^ of Sec. 22; N. E. i/4 and S. W. V4, of Sec. 
23; N. 1/2 of N. W. 1/4 and S. W. % of N. W. %, N. 1/2 of N. E. 14, 



6 



ALABAMA INDEMNITY LANDS. 



N. E. Vi of S. E. 14 and S. V2 of S. E. V4,, all in Sec. 24; N. W. V4, 
and S. W. % and N. V2 of N. E. V^, S. W. % of N. E. 14 and W. Vz 
of S. E. %, all in Sec. 25; S. 1/2 of N. E. 14 and S. V2 of Section 
26; E. 1/2 of N. E. y* of Sec. 34; N. V2 of N. W. % and N. E. % of 
N. E. % of Sec. 35; N. Vz of N. W. V* of Sec. 36, all lying in Tp. 
13 S., R. 11 W.: "These tracts are all underlain by the Horse 
Creek group and most of them by the Corona or Pratt group. No 
tests, however, in this vicinity, have yet shown up any notable 
thickness of coal in either group. Of course, below the Horse 
Creek group, 100 feet or more, the Black Creek and Jefferson 
seams underlie and are likely to be of value, though not generally 
over 2% feet in thickness." 

JEFFERSON COUNTY. 



The N. V2 of Sec. 28; S. E. V4 of N. W. V^ of Sec. 32, all in Tp. 
17 S., R. 1 W.: "These are the Cahaba coal fields underlain by the 
Gould coal seam, and possibly by the Nunnaly seams." 

The N. E. V4 of N. W. y* ; N. W. % of S. E. V4 and S. E. V4. of 
S. E. V4. of Sec. 28, Tp. 15 S., R. 2 W.: "These tracts are immedi- 
ately underlain by the Newcastle and Mary Lee seams showing 
thickness of about 3 feet where tested on or near the tracts. Be- 
low the Mary Lee the Blue Creek seam shows a thickness of 52 
inches and 71 inches and the Jagger 71 inches in adjoining section 
(27). All of theee probably exist in the tracts described, and 100 
feet below are the Black Creek and the Jefferson seams, 2l^ feet 
average thickness and of good coal." 

The S. W. y^ of S. W. % of Sec. 30, Tp. 15 S., R. 3 W.: "This 
tract is underlain immediately by the Mary Lee seam and 100 feet 
below the Mary Lee by the Black Creek and Jefferson 2 feet 6 
inches average thickness. The Mary Lee is usually the thick seam, 
8 to 5 feet, with a good deal of shale." 

The N. E. V4 of N. E. l^, S. y2 of N. E. %, and S. V2 of S. E. % 
of Sec. 36, Tp. 15 S., R. 4 W.:_ "The conditions of these tracts are 
practically the same as those given for the forty in Sec. 30, Tp. 
15 S., R. 3 W." 

The S. E. y* of N. E. V4. of Sec. 26, Tp. 15 S., R. 5 W.: "This 
tract is on Democrat Ridge and has no coal under it except the 



ALABAMA INDEMNITY LANDS. 



seams below the Black Creek group, which have not been shown 
to be of value in this particular part of the field. Democrat Ridge 
is an Anticlinal, in which the structure is favorable to the accumu- 
lation and holding of oil and gas if these much to be desired ma- 
terials exist in this part of the State." 

The S. E. % of S. W. 1/4 of Sec. 8, Tp. 18 S., R. 5 W.: "The 
seam nearest the surface under Section 8 are the Thompson Mill 
and the Upper Cobb, neither of which is very often of workable 
thickness — not over 20 inches in this> section. But below these sur- 
face seams at depth of 275 to 300 feet comes the Pratt group, and 
300 feet below that, the New Castle or Mary Lee group. In one 
or the other of these groups drillings show the existence of a seam 
6 feet or so in thickness. The depth below the surface, however, is 
too great for present mining. An isolated tract of 40 acres would 
depend in great measure for its value in being necessary to body 
up the possessions of some corporation." 

The N. 1/2 of N. W. Vi and S. W. % of N. W. 1/4 of Sec. 20, Tp. 
18 S., R. 6 W.: "The immediately underlying seams in these tracts 
are of the Pratt-America group, but no tests have exposed a 
greater thickness than 2 feet of coal. From 300 to 400 feet below 
the Pratt group comes the Mary Lee group, some of the seams of 
which are of exceptional thickness, though rather slaty. To reach 
these seams a shaft of the depth given would have to be sunk. 
The situation is quite similar to that at the Banner mine." 

The S. E. 1/4 of N. E. 1/4 of Sec. 4, Tp. 19 S., R. 6 W.: "The 
seams of the Cobb group are nearest the surface in Section 4, but 
no measurements have been made showing a minable thickness of 
coal; 250 feet below the Cobb group comes the Pratt-America 
group, and 350 feet below it the Mary Lee group. In this latter 
group are found, as a rule, one or more coals of workable thick- 
ness, but the depth below Section 4 is rather too great. This forty 
would be useful to a corporation bodying up a tract; by itself it 
would have no great value for coal. Timber might be an item of 
value." 

Fractional N. E. i/4 of Sec. 9, containing 62 acres; S. E. 14 of S. 
E. % of Sec. 10; W. Vz, N. W. % of N. E. 1/4, S. 1/2 of N. E. V4., N. 
% of S. E. 1/4 and S. E. V4. of S. E. % of Sec. 11; W. % of S. W. V* 



8 ALABAMA INDEMNITY LANDS. 

of Sec. 12; W. 1/2 of N. W. k and S. 1/2 of Sec. 13; W. 1/2 of N. W. 
V4, N. E. 14 of N. E. 1/4, S. 1/2 of N. E. 14 and S. V2 of Section 14; 
S. W. 14 and S. V2 of S. E. k of Sec. 15; N. 1/2, N. V2 of S. W. i/4, 
S. E. % of S. W. % and E. 1/2 of S. E. 14 of Sec. 22; N. E. i/4 and 
S. 1/2 of Sec. 23; N. 1/2 and S. W. i/4 of Sec. 24, all in Tp. 18 S., R. 
7 W.: "This is a valuable lot because of its solidarity. The Gwinn 
and Cobb groups are those nearest the surface. Tests showing 
thickness nearly up to 3 feet both in Gwinn and Cobb groups, 
though these seams are seldom mined. Timber may be a valuable 
asset. The remarks concerning the underlying Pratt and Mary 
Lee groups made in preceding townships apply here also. 

The fractional N. E. % of Sec. 4 containing 66.60 acres, Tp. 19 
S., R. 7 W.: "This tract is on the Brookwood group which in most 
places holds workable coal, at Brookwood, Searles, Kellerman, etc. 
Below, the Brookwood follows with an interval of 180 feet, the 
Gwinn groups and then Cobb, Pratt and Mary Lee as above 
shown." 

MARION COUNTY. 

The S. E. 1/4 of N. E. 14 and the S. E. % of Sec. 2; W. V2 of N. 
E. Vi and the S. E. k of Sec. 11, and the E. 1/2 of N. E. 14 and 
E. V2 of S. E. k of Sec. 14, all lying in Tp. 13 S., R. 11 W. "These 
tracts have the Mary Lee or Jagger or Horse Creek group nearest 
the surface. While this group holds some thick though slaty 
seams, no measurements made in this township, either in Marion 
or Fayette Counties have revealed any notable thickness of coal. 
One Hundred feet below the Mary Lee group follows the Black 
Creek, which nearly everywhere holds a bed about 2 to 2V^ feet 
thick of excellent coal. Rather too thin, however, for any large 
scale mining. In the same township and range in Fayette County, 
there is quite a compact body of similar land contiguous to these 
tracts. Short leaf pine and hardwood should be on this." 

ST. CLAIR COUNTY. 

The N. E. Vi of S. W. k of Sec. 31, Tp. 14 S., R. 5 E.: "This 
forty lies in a wild rocky country in Coosa coal field. No coal un- 
derlying it so far as shown, but there is much good long leaf pine 
timber there and thereabouts. Not suitable for farming — too 
rocky. A sawmill is not far off." 



ALABAMA INDEMNITY LANDS, 9 

TUSCALOOSA COUNTY. 

The S. 1/2 of N. W. 1^, N. Va of S. W. V^ and S. E. 14 of S. W. % 
of Sec. 4; E. 1/2 of N. W. Vi, S. V2 of S. W. %, N. E. 14 and the 
N. 1/2 of S. E. 1^ of Sec. 5; the N. E. % of S. W. 14, S. 1/2 of S. W. 
14, and W. 1/2 of S. E. V^ of Sec. 6; N. W. 14 of N. W. %, S. i^ of 
N. W. 1^, N. E. % of N. E. 14 and S. Vz of N. E. V4. of Sec. 7, Tp. 
19 S., R. 7 W. : "In these tracts the Brookwood group of coals oc- 
cupy the hilltops, while in the valleys between the next underlying 
or Gwinn group is at the surface. The brookwood group has 
workable coal in many places, and the lower members of the 
Gwinn group is often workable. In general, all the forties on the 
hilltops are likely to carry workable coal." 

All of Section 4; the S. E. Vi of Sec. 6, Tp. 20 S., R. 7 W.: "The 
tracts in Section 4 have the Gwinn group nearest the surface, 
while those in Section 6 carry the Brookwood group, which in this 
section carries at least one seam of workable thickness, i. e., the 
same seam as that worked at Kellerman. The Gwinn group in 
Section 4 is not known to have any seam of workable thickness, 
but below come the Cobb group, the Pratt group and the Mary Lee 
group at the proper depths. Drilling at Kellerman reveals a 5-6 
ft. seam within 1,000 feet depth." 

WALKER COUNTY. 

The S. E. % of S. W. V^ and S. W. % of S. E. 1/4 of Sec. 31, Tp. 
14 S., R. 7 W.: "These forties have the Mary Lee group next to 
the surface. In nearby sections the coal measures up to 4 or 5 
feet as at Calumet mine in Section 29. There was once a good 
deal of fine timber, hardwoods, etc., but it is probably gone. Un- 
less cut out by erosion there should be a workable bed of coal here 
and the forties should command a fair price from corporations de- 
siring to body up." 

The N. E. hi of S. E. i/4 of Sec. 35, Tp. 15 S., R. 7 W.: "This 
forty should have the America seam unless it has been eroded out. 
It lies surrounded by the lands of the Sloss Company, which has 
been mining there for many years. The forty would be of more 
value to them perhaps than to anyone else, if they wish to body 
up." 



10 



ALABAMA INDEMNITY LANDS. 



The N. E. y* of N. W. V^ and N. W. % of N. E. V4 of Sec. 2, 
Tp. 16 S., R. 7 W.: "The description given of the forty above vi^ill 
apply to this tract, as they are in adjoining sections." 

The N. W. 1/4 of S. E. % of Sec. 1; N. E. V4 of N. W. 1/4 of Sec. 
4; N. E. 1/4 of N. E. i^ of Sec. 23; N. W. ^4 of N. W. % of Sec. 
24, and N. E. Vi of N. E. i^ of Sec. 29, Tp. 13 S., R. 8 W.: "These 
forties have the Black Creek seam. It vi^ill average 24 inches of 
good coal free from slate. Excellent for gas making." 

The S. W. Vi of N. E. 1/4 of Sec. 1; N. E. 1/4 of S. E. i/4 of Sec. 
10; N. W. % of N. W. % of Sec. 23; N. W. i/4 of S. W. i^ of Sec. 
28; S. E. 1^ of N. E. i/4 and W, V2 of S. W. V4. of Sec. 29; S. W. 1/4 
of S. W. 1/4 and S. W. 14 of S. E. % of Sec. 30; N. W. % of N. W. 
1^, S. Vz of N. W. %, N. E. %, S. W. 14 of S. W % .and N. 1/2 of 
S. E. hi of Sec. 31; S. W. % of S. W. 1/4 of Sec. 33, and N. Vs of 
N. E. Vi of Sec. 36, all in Tp. 14 S., R. 8 W.: "The forties in Sec- 
tions 29 (W. ^2 of S. W. 'hi), 30 and 31 are on the Corona seam 
show^ing in a contiguous section thickness of 36 inches. The other 
scattered forties have the Jagger or Mary Lee nearest below^ the 
surface with variable thickness up to 6 feet and above, but some- 
what slaty. The big seam has been mined at Gamble mine near 
Section 1 of this township, but across the line in Tp. 13." 

The E. 1/2 of S. W. 1/4 of Sec. 11; N. W. 1/4 of N. W. 1^, N. W. 
^ of N. E. hi, S. E. % of N. E. 14, and N. 1/2 of S. E. i/4 of Sec. 
13; S. E. 1/4 of N. E. 14 of Sec. 21; N, 1/2 of N. E. i/4 of Sec, 22; 
N. 1/2 of N. W. 1/4 and S. E. V4. of N. W. i/4 of Sec. 23; N. W. ^ 
of S. W. 1/4, of Sec. 25; E. Vz of N. E. 14 of Sec. 27; S. 1/2 of S. W. 
^ of Sec. 32; N. E. % of S. W. 14 and S. E. % of S. E. % of Sec. 
33, and S. W. i/4 of S. W. i/4 of Sec. 36, Tp. 13 S., R. 9 W.: "These 
are all in the territory of the Big or Jagger Seam. Measurements 
of this seam show thickness from 18 inches to 5 or 6 feet. Some 
of the forties are near Pocahontas and Chickasaw Mines. Not 
many tests have been made in the particular sections. Some of 
them should have workable coal, but examination of the individual 
forties would be needed to decide." 



The S. W. 1/4 of S. W. 1/4 of. Sec. 17; S. W. 1/4 of S. E. i/4 of Sec. 
18, and N. W. i/4 of S. W. 1/4 of Sec. 19, Tp. 14 S., R. 6 W.: "These 
three forties lie within the area where the Mary Lee-Jagger 



ALABAMA INDEMNITY LANDS. 



11 



group is nearest the surface In most of this area in Walker there 
is at least one thick, but generally somewhat slaty seam of worka- 
ble size. No tests, however, in either of the three sections have 
shown a thick seam. One hundred feet, more or less, below the 
Mary. Lee group, is the Black Creek seam, averaging 24 inches of 
excellent coal." 

The N. 1/2 of N. W. 1^ of Section 18, Tp. 17 S., R. 6 W.: "These 
tracts have the Mary Lee-Jagger group nearest the surface, with 
possibly the lowermost of the Cobb group on elevations in the N. 
W. corner forty. The remarks relative to the forties in Sections 
17, 18 and 19 above apply here also." 

The S. W. V4, of N. W. hi and S. W. %of Sec. 26; N. W. i^, W. 
Vz of N. E. Vi, N. 1/2 of S. W. V4. and N. W. % of S. E. V^ of Sec. 
27; N. E. % of N. W. % of Sec. 28; N. W. 14, W. V2 of N. E. % 
and N. W. V^ of S. W. % of Sec. 29; N. W. Va and S. E. hi and S. 
E 14 of N. E. 1^ of Sec. 33, and S. W. i^ of S. W. % of Sec. 34, 
Tp. 14 S, R. 9 W. : "All of these are in the territory of the Corona 
seam and may hold coal 24 to 36 inches thick and of good quality. 
Below the surface group at depth of 350 feet, more or less, occurs 
the Mary Lee-Jagger group with, in all probability, at least one 
seam of workable thickness. The nearest mines to these tracts 
are the Townley Mines on the Big Seam." 



The N. E. 1/4 of N. W. ^, N. W. % of N. E. 14, N. W. V^ of S. 
E. 14 of Sec. 1; N. W. % of N. E. %, N. W. i^. of S. W. Vi, Sec. 
2; E. Va of S. E. 1/4, Sec. 4; N. W. 1/4 of Sec. 5; E. 1/2 of N. E. % 
of Sec. 6; N. W. i^ of N. W. V4, N. E. 1^ of N. E. %, S. W. 14 of 
S. W. %, Sec. 7; N. E. % of N. E. i/4 of Sec. 9; S. E. Vi of S. E. 
% of Sec. 15; S. W. 1/4 of S. W. 1/4 of Sec. 17; N. W. % of N. W. 
^ of Sec. 18; N. V2 of N. W. %, S. W. V^ of N. W. i^, S. V2 of S. 
W. %, N. W. 1/4 of S. W. 1/4 of Sec. 19; N. W. % of S. W. Vi of 
Sec. 20; N. V2 of S. W. 1/4, S. W. 1/4 of S. W. %, N. V2 of S. E. 1/4, 
S. E. 14 of S. E. 1/4 of Sec. 21; N. Vz of S. W. 1/4 of Sec. 26; N. V2 
of S. E. 1/4 and S. W. 1/4 of S. W. % of Sec. 27; S. V2 of N. W. Vi 
and S. W. hi of Sec. 29; E. V2 of N. E. % and N. W. M of Sec. 30; 
S. Vz of S. E. 1/4 of Sec. 32; S. E. 14 of N. E. Vi and N. W. i/4 of 
S. W. % of Sec. 33; N. W. i/4 of S. E. Vi of Sec. 34, all in Tp. 13 
S., R. 10 W.: "The tracts in Section 20 and 29 carry the Corona 
seam with the Big seam (Mary Lee-Jagger), 350 feet below. 



12 ALABAMA INDEMNITY LANDS. 

The other tracts have the Big Seam nearest the surface and are 
likely to have a workable coal. Some of the tracts (Sections 26 
and 27) are near the mines at Carbon Hill." 

WINSTON COUNTY. 

The E. 1/2 of N. E. %, S. E. 1/4 and S. 1/2 of S. W. % of Sec. 1; 
W. 1/2 of N. W. 1/4, S. E. Vi of N. E. %, E. V2 of S. E. 1/4 and S. 
W 1/4 of S. E. 14 of Sec. 2; N. E. V^ of S. E. 1/4 and S. V2 of S. E. 
1/4 of Sec. 3; N. E. % of N. W. % of Sec. 4; N. E. i/4 of N. E. i/4 
and S. W. i/4 of S. W. % of Sec. 5; N. W. 14 of N. W. 14, S. 1/2 of 
N. W. 1/4, S. W. l^ of N. E. 1/4, N. 1/2 of S. E. 1/4, S W. 1/4 of S. E. 
14 and N. E. % of S. W. 1/4 of Sec. 6; S. E. % of N. W. 14 of Sec. 
8; N. 1/2 of N. W. 1/4 and N. 1/2 of N. E. i/4 of Sec. 10; S. E. i/4 of 
N. W. 1/4, N. 1/2 of N. E. 14, S. W. 14 of N. E. 1/4, N. 1/2 of S. W. 
14, N. 1/2 of S. E. 14, and S. E. 14 of S. W. % of Sec. 11; E. 1/2 of 
N. E. 14, S. E. 1/4 and N. W. 14 of S. W. 14 of Sec. 12; E. 1/2 of 
N. E. 1/4 and S. E. 14 of S. E. 14 of Sec. 13, Tp. 12 S., R 9 W.: 
"These tracts have the Black Creek and Jefferson Seam except 
where erosion of streams and valleys have removed them. This 
group of coal holds almst everywhere in its area of occurrences at 
least one seam of excellent coal, though a thin seam, averaging 
perhaps 24 inches." 



mi 



